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Originally Posted by homerunhitter
Absolutely wonderful write up Chris. Is was very helpful. You answered a question that I was going to ask so thank you! That question was, was is an "acceptable" grade for topps vintage that most people look for. for 50s, 60s, and 70s, and you broke it down perfectly. now i know how to focus my searching for vintage topps graded cards.
I do find interesting that while searching for a card that I like on ebay, I found one in a psa 4 and one in a psa 6, the interesting part is the psa 4 looked better and had better centering than the psa 6! I was going to buy the psa 6 but then realized that the psa 4 had better eye appeal and coloring!
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I'm going to try not to be as wordy this time. Two things....
1. The biggest caveat I have is to buy what you like, and don't focus on the grade too much. Some people enjoy buying older cards in 1s and 2s because they are affordable and it allows them to buy more cards. Theoretically, you can always upgrade later, so the theory is get in the door and buy a card you want even in a lower grade. But the most important thing is buy what you like. As an investment, it gets a little more cloudy. I think you're good with Star HOF's in most any grade pre-1970s. In the '70's I'd stick to higher grades when possible, but I'm convinced that 20 years from now, PSA 4s and 5s of Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan, George Brett, etc. will be in demand and have value.
2. Cards can earn a grade for a few reasons. It can be one single flaw that lands a card at a certain grade level, or several minor flaws that on their own wouldn't add up to much. Combine that with centering and you can definitely find lower graded cards that look better than a higher graded example. That's why buying the card is so important and making sure you like it. A 70/30 centered card won't look as nice as a 55/45 card when holding it in front of you, assuming there are no major flaws on either surface. But that 70/30 card may have nice crisp corners and little edge wear, whereas the 55/45 could have softer corners and more edge wear. In the end, they may attain the same grade. The key is which looks good to you. To my eyes, 80% of cards look EXMT-NM when held at arms length, which is why I look closer. For me, balancing what a card would grade with eye appeal is the sweet spot. For someone else it may be all about eye appeal or simply about owning that card. To someone else they may be fixated on a possible grade only. There are lots of different flavors and why this hobby is great, because not everyone collects the same way.